Student Senate to vote on graduate fee increase
Budgets for fee-funded boards will also be introduced
Bob Bajek / Student Government Editor
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: News
The Student Senate will vote on a fee increase proposed by the Graduate Student Advisory Council at 7 p.m. today.
Peter Salvadori, president of the council, and Rodney Ranes, adviser of the council, spoke to Student Government during last week's meeting about increasing the fee from $2 to $3 in a two-year period with 50-cent increases to the organization to be self-sufficient.
This fee affects the 1,800 graduate students on campus.
The increase will raise the council's operating budget from $4,500 to $6,000.
"The fee increase they are asking for is very moderate," said Drew Griffin, student senate speaker. "The graduate council did a good job in taking into account the current economic crisis by not asking for too much, but they need this increase so they don't operate in the red all the time."
At today's meeting, a change to the senate's diversity involvement requirement bylaw will be back for discussion.
At the Feb. 11 Student Senate meeting, 14 Student Senate members voted for the change and seven voted against. Griffin said a two-thirds majority was needed for the bylaw change. Out of 22 members, 15 affirmative votes were needed.
Student Senate member Michael Whildin was the lone abstention.
He stated during the meeting he would not vote for a bylaw change.
Tiffany Turner, student vice president for business affairs, said she and Student Senate member Mark Olendzki reworked the legislation.
"Me and Mark thought of it awhile and took a look into why it didn't pass," Turner said. "I kept the constituency requirement the same, but when it came to the campus involvement requirement, we decided to keep it as the diversity requirement and reword certain passages to get more senator involvement."
Turner said she thinks this is a fair compromise. She said Olendzki visited the Black Student Union, Lasso, EIU Pride and the Residence Hall Association for feedback.
"Everyone seemed to be receptive to the concept, but not the wording," Turner said. "This constituency requirement will enhance the diversity requirement with students going to other student organizations they don't belong to."
The bylaw change will be tabled for next week. Turner said she would ask the senators to review the bylaw change at today's meeting.
In other business, the budgets for the Apportionment Board, the University Board, the Student Government and the Student Recreation Center will be introduced for discussion.
The budgets will be tabled for a vote next meeting.
The budgets have been approved by the AB, and now need approved by the senate.
Turner said the AB has asked for $24,305 for fiscal year 2010, $1,700 more than last year. She said the raise is because of a payroll increase for Laurel Fuqua, account technician for the AB.
The Rec has asked for $226,190 for fiscal year 2010, a $1,510 decrease from fiscal year 2009.
The UB has asked for $243,313, an increase of $3,844 from fiscal year 2009.
The AB cut $25,718 from the UB's original proposal of $270,026.
Student Government has asked for $46,092, an increase of $866 from 2009.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
Peter Salvadori, president of the council, and Rodney Ranes, adviser of the council, spoke to Student Government during last week's meeting about increasing the fee from $2 to $3 in a two-year period with 50-cent increases to the organization to be self-sufficient.
This fee affects the 1,800 graduate students on campus.
The increase will raise the council's operating budget from $4,500 to $6,000.
"The fee increase they are asking for is very moderate," said Drew Griffin, student senate speaker. "The graduate council did a good job in taking into account the current economic crisis by not asking for too much, but they need this increase so they don't operate in the red all the time."
At today's meeting, a change to the senate's diversity involvement requirement bylaw will be back for discussion.
At the Feb. 11 Student Senate meeting, 14 Student Senate members voted for the change and seven voted against. Griffin said a two-thirds majority was needed for the bylaw change. Out of 22 members, 15 affirmative votes were needed.
Student Senate member Michael Whildin was the lone abstention.
He stated during the meeting he would not vote for a bylaw change.
Tiffany Turner, student vice president for business affairs, said she and Student Senate member Mark Olendzki reworked the legislation.
"Me and Mark thought of it awhile and took a look into why it didn't pass," Turner said. "I kept the constituency requirement the same, but when it came to the campus involvement requirement, we decided to keep it as the diversity requirement and reword certain passages to get more senator involvement."
Turner said she thinks this is a fair compromise. She said Olendzki visited the Black Student Union, Lasso, EIU Pride and the Residence Hall Association for feedback.
"Everyone seemed to be receptive to the concept, but not the wording," Turner said. "This constituency requirement will enhance the diversity requirement with students going to other student organizations they don't belong to."
The bylaw change will be tabled for next week. Turner said she would ask the senators to review the bylaw change at today's meeting.
In other business, the budgets for the Apportionment Board, the University Board, the Student Government and the Student Recreation Center will be introduced for discussion.
The budgets will be tabled for a vote next meeting.
The budgets have been approved by the AB, and now need approved by the senate.
Turner said the AB has asked for $24,305 for fiscal year 2010, $1,700 more than last year. She said the raise is because of a payroll increase for Laurel Fuqua, account technician for the AB.
The Rec has asked for $226,190 for fiscal year 2010, a $1,510 decrease from fiscal year 2009.
The UB has asked for $243,313, an increase of $3,844 from fiscal year 2009.
The AB cut $25,718 from the UB's original proposal of $270,026.
Student Government has asked for $46,092, an increase of $866 from 2009.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this story